Credem Banca reached and surpassed 500 points in the division in the first leg of the quarterfinal playoffs of the Serie A3 championship in Sarroch. Gioele Favaro, a spiker for ErmGroup Altotevere, is making a significant contribution to the white-and-blues’ fortunes and has proven decisive even in this recent period, which saw him not play in the initial 6+1 lineup, but which has established him as a key player that coach Marco Bartolini can count on if necessary. “After only two seasons in Serie A3, reaching this milestone, considering what happened to me at the start of this one,” Favaro stated, “is not easy. I am therefore very satisfied with the number, albeit with a hint of regret, because the total could have been more substantial, even if this is the reality: you have to look ahead and aim for future goals.” The 22-year-old player from the Veneto region is referring to the serious ankle injury he suffered in September in Macerata, during a joint training session; His recovery meant he missed the first few league games. Now, however, Favaro is proving decisive when he comes on in critical situations, as his contribution has changed the course of the game on more than one occasion. “It’s a difficult task, coming on to try and change something,” he emphasizes, “because you may or may not succeed, and if you don’t, you’ll be blamed. What I try to do is energize us during periods of negative energy, which we sometimes suffer from. Bringing smiles back to my teammates on the field, making them understand that we’re still playing the sport we love and at a high level, is crucial to raising awareness and helping us try to win matches.” But ultimately, ErmGroup Altotevere also found the ability to suffer, as Simone Marzolla also acknowledged: “It’s true,” Favaro confirmed, “we took some criticism during the second half of the regular season because of the games we lost, sometimes in a row, but let’s say it helped. Defeats are always useful, especially for a team like ours that wants to learn. And even defeats have brought us to this point.” Regarding the first leg of the semifinal against Belluno, his view is similar to that of his teammates: “Now we’re a different team, like them, with a more established roster than us, made up of players who are now accustomed to playing in the playoffs, or at least have played more games than us, and are consequently less experienced.
